Process of recovering copper and other values from certain ores.



PATENTED MAY 22, 1906.

T. J. L'OVETT. PROCESS OF REGOVERING COPPER AND OTHER VALUES PROM GERIAIN ORES.

APPLIUATION TILED JAN. 16. 1906.

mmmw Themes J. Lpvefl .NJ fiffameyson srarr ri-ioi as J. tovsrr, or cnicAeo. ILLINOIS. P806588 or RECOVERWG tGPPlEt an) UTHER VALUES mom CERTAIN GREG.

c assification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Ia naary 16, 1908. serial lie. 296,385-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMA$ J. Lover-r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicage, in the county of Cook and State of Illinols, have discovered snow and useful Procass of Recovering Cop er and other Values from Certain Ores, of W ich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved method of separating, concentrating, and savingthe valuable constituents of low-grade copper pyrites or chalcopyrite ores containing a large percentage of magnetic iron, with which. is intimately associated sulfide of copper carrying gold and silver. Immense deposits of ore of this character have been found, for example, on the Prince of Wales island off the southeast coast of Alaska, where the ore exists, for the most part, at least, inclosed in what is termed an altered Kassan grecnstone formation. The largest percentage of mineral in this ore is magnetic iron, and the assay values vary from two to eight per cent. copper and from one dollar to two dollars and fifty cents in gold and silver, according to reliable reports. Hitherto no process has been employed which would operate economically to extract the copper and precious metals from this ore. Ell'orts have been made to smelt the ore; but the large percentage of" iron, as compared with the copper and precious-metal contents, renders tn smelting o)eration, in most cases, at least, unprofitable. Eflorts have also been made to concentrate preparatory for smelting; the copper and other values by mechanical means, such as vanners, 620.; but the specific gravities of the iron and sullids are so nearly alike that those efforts have had to be aban doned.

My object is to solve the problem of readily recovering the copper sullld and any gold.

and silver associated therewith by a method which will extract and render possible the. saving of the 11011 constituent of the ore and leave in the form of a concentrate the sul'lid and precious-metal values;

In practicing my improved method I employ an apparatus such as is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which is a vertical longitudinal sectional view, and in which- 1 designates a pair of rolls for coarse-crushing the ore in a dry state to con'lminute the mass, so that it will all pass through a screen of, say, from twelve to twenty mesh. From the crushing-rolls the dry comminuted material passes downwardly over an inclined our face 2 and in its passage is subjected to the action of a suitable magnetic separator,-- that shown consisting ofa magnet-equipped roll 3, around which and a roll 4 an endless apron 5 passes. Thematerial notcaughtby the mags net falls into a receptacle fiirom which it may be conveyed to the. rolls 1 for recrushing. The material caught by the magnet--- namely, magnetic iron and sultid powder ad hering to the iron-is conveyed on the upper traverse of the apron 5 and falls therel'rom between a pair of crushinv-rolls 7, which comminutes the mass to egree of finenessso that all will pass throu h a screen approximating forty mesh, in which conditions the of the powder from the iron'and rcduetery much the production ofsulfid slimes 1 provide the means shown, which consists o'l' an air-nozzle 8, connected with a blowerl) and.

falling material. It is to be understood that by the extraction of the sulfid owder, as stated, it is saved from a secon. crushing, which would reduce much'oi the particles to a degree of fineness highly undesirable Where,

A screen 10 of proper mesh ma be employed its passage to the rolls 7 and back of this screen is a receptacle 11, receiving the dislodged sulficl powdecpassing' throughthe screen.

step and after the dislodgment oi the sulli powder, is mixed with water dlschargpnr from a spray-nozzle 12, so that the secon in a wet state. rial passes downwardly over an inclined surface 13 and in its passage-is-subjccted to the aetiouoi a magnetic separator 14, similar in separation is kept in a wet state by water discharging from a nozzle 15.

14 fall from thc apron into a receptacle iron partic'es are substantially disunited to obtain the dislod ment before recrushing.

discharging air under pressure through be they are to be subjected to hirther treatment.

to prevent the deflection of t 1e material in construction to the separator hereinbeiore described. The material during this second ticles caught by the magnet of the separator while the material not caught falls into a 1fo-- The material, previous to the recrustiihgf crushing is performed while the material is.

From the rolls 7 the mate The iron pan 1- ceptacle 17. The iron particles, owing to the presence of water, are extracted in a comparatively clean state.- The receptacle 1? may he a settling-tank, in which the sulfids and their contained values will precipi tate, permitting the'water to be. drawn off and leaving the sulfid in a highly-concern tratecl state and in condition for economical smelting. second grinding and final separation could be performed while the ore is in a more or less dry state; but such an operation, it has been found, would be less economical and would etl'ect less desirable results.

The process, as hereinbel oredescribed, contemplates the treatment ofthe material for the concentration and collection of the non magnetic particles, first, in a dry state and then in a wet condition, whereby in the earlier dry steps the formation of slimes is prevented and the dislodgment of values in the form-of powdcrfrom the magnetic particles is readily effected, and whereby in the later wet steps purer and cleaner concentrates are obtained and at a cost considerably below that required for a iinal treatment of the mass in a dry condition. More than two grindings and more than two magnetic separations may be resorted to, though it is believed that in most cases a third grind ing and magnetic separation would not result in any material profit. For purposes of economy in treatment the second and subsequent, any, grindings should be performed while the ore is in a wet state to facilitate the operation. and avoid dust losses, and the second and any subsequent magnetic separations should be performed while the mass operated. upon is in a iluid state.

It is to be understood that the It will be seen that my invention consists 40 has never. before to my knowledge been treated in the manner described. Not only are the. sulfid-of-copper and precious-metal values brought to a high state of concentration forprohtable smelting, but the iron may be left in a clean and merchantable condition What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The herein-described combined dry and Wet process of concentrating and collecting the nonmagnetic sulfid and contained values in low-grade chalcopyrite ores carrying a material percentage of magnetic iron, which consists of the steps of coarse-crushing the ore in a dry state to reduce the sulfid and iron and allow of the dislodgment of adhering suliid powder, magnetically separating from the dry reduced mass the disunited iron particles,- dislodging from said dry iron particles and collecting the adhering suliid powder, comminuting the remaining. at-

tracted material in a wet state to a degree of fineness which disumtes the remaining iron particles irom the other constituents, magnetically separating the disunited remaining iron particles from the wet mass, and finally collecting and saving the sulfid concentrates from the rec-rushed mass.

THOMAS J. LOVETT. In presence of J3, H. LANDES; A. U. THORIEN. 

